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As an inside midfielder Jessie Fleming is always in the centre of the action.

Right now the 16-year-old Londoner is being lauded for being central to Canada’s success at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Costa Rica.

“Jessie has unique vision and sees things on the pitch that no one else would at her age,” coach Beverly Priestman told FIFA.com after Canada advanced from the group stage on the weekend. “She has great fitness, is great on the ball, turns really well so I’m excited about her future.

“She is a different kind of leader. She leads by example on the pitch, and off the pitch the girls really trust her. She is not a boisterous leader, more of an actions speak louder than words type.”

Fleming, the team’s captain, got Canada off on the right foot by scoring off a free kick just three minutes into its first game against Germany. But it is her ability to see the field and control the play that is being praised after Canada tied the Germans 2-2, drew 1-1 against North Korea and then defeated group winner Ghana 2-1 to secure second place and a spot in the quarterfinals.

“This tournament, with the thought of Canada getting out of the group of death, it is awesome,” Fleming told FIFA.com. “I strive for so much more. We just want to make Canada proud.”

Fleming, who spent some time with the senior national team in December when she was still just 15, and the rest of the Canadians will get that chance Thursday in a quarterfinal against Venezuela, who won all three of its group games without allowing a goal.

“In the past two weeks we have played against some of the world’s best teams,” Fleming told FIFA.com after beating Ghana on Saturday, in which Canada built a 2-0 first-half lead then held on, despite being reduced to 10 players in the second half.